Mike Bennett
Capsule Reviews:
February, 2006
Scroll
down for capsule reviews of The Smoking Popes, Jeff May, Catfish
Haven, Mark Decerbo, Belle & Sebastian, Tiara, Lying in
States, apb, Kelley Stoltz, Roseann Cash and an Australian
compilation
The Smoking Popes -- At
Metro (Victory): The recently reunited
suburban pop-punk outfit sold out a November 2005 show at
Chicago's Metro (1,100 or so capacity) in 18 minutes. In the
‘90s, the Popes built a following through touring and
two solid indie releases, before getting picked up by Capitol
in the wake of their single "Need You Around". Unfortunately,
while Capitol took valuable time pressing major label versions
of the band's third album (originally on Johan's Face), the
momentum on the single stalled. They never got it back, even
after a second Capitol release. Meanwhile, increasing indulgence
in weed made the band more ragged live, and the final blow
was when frontman Josh Caterer became a hard core born again
Christian, splitting the band. Josh went on to form Duvall,
who played Popes-like Jesus rock. Duvall is still around to
preach the message, and as Josh's religious stance mellowed,
he was able to reconcile his beliefs with playing with brothers
Eli and Matt in the Popes. And it's not like the Popes were
potty mouthed brats. They mixed punky (a la Buzzcocks and
The Undertones) rock with power pop wonderful melodies and
Josh's amazing crooning voice. The contrast between the vocals
and the music was brilliantly effective. And it still is.
This is a virtual Popes greatest hits and is kind of their
Budokan album. There are certainly a few moments here where
I thought of Cheap Trick's classic live album. While I don't
think the songs here are quite as consistently brilliant,
I was amazed how, on first listen, songs I hadn't listened
to in years were making me smile yet again. Like early on,
"Gotta Know Right Now", which is a perfect mix of
heavy guitar and bass supporting a candy sweet melody. The
Popes were clearly writing hits for a world that should have
been listening. They had a propensity for catchy-as-heck riffs
-- listen to the stuttering chords on "You Spoke to Me",
and then the perfect pop melody that is the bridge between
the riff and chorus (which reintroduces the riff). It sounds
so simple, but if it's so easy, why can't everyone write songs
this good? The band shows a mastery of dynamics on the splendid
"Paul", the chorus exploding from the soft verses,
throws in a snippet of Michael Nesmith's "Different Drum"
on "On the Shoulder", and verges on bubblegum on
"Writing a Letter". The audience adds to the allure
of "Pretty Pathetic", an emo blueprint that is so
good, it renders the genre that ensued unnecessary. This album
is a great overview of a band who will hopefully cut some
new material in 2006. This, by the way, is a CD/DVD combo
-- the DVD has a few more tracks. Value for the money! victoryrecords.com
Jeff May -- Confessions
(Pure Pop): The talented Mr. May is an Australian analog to
Ron Sexsmith. May's songs are direct and to the point and
highlight his achingly wonderful voice. There are bits here
that remind me of Jeff Buckley, Neil Finn and Ronnie Lane,
too. This is pretty good company to mentioned in, and May
is quite deserving of such lofty praise. The Sexsmith comparison
comes through very strongly on "Sad Is Somehow Beautiful".
It's just obvious in the gentle, flowing melodies. The song
has two primary melodies that compliment each other perfectly.
This song radiates tenderness and empathy. May's slightly
sandpapery voice is perfect on the loping "Two Hours
a Day", which comes closer to Crowded House/Squeeze territory.
This song has an instantly memorable chorus, as he sings about
a woman who has spent "five long years in a cocktail
dress/two hours a day trying to look your best." Let's
just say her life hasn't turned out quite the way she would
have liked. That track features the drumming of the late Paul
Hester of Crowded House, who also provides a strong contribution
to the ‘rockingest' number on the record, "The Fever".
The track contrasts a slinky rhythm with a little burst of
floating melodic guitar. While the full band tracks are all
terrific, on songs like "You Know It's Over" and
"St. Patrick's Eyes", spare accompaniment spotlights
May's vocals to great advantage (though on the latter, the
band does come in to add a bit of drive). This is a very compelling
piece of work. purepop.com.au
Catfish Haven -- Please
Come Back (Secretly Canadian):
This Chicago trio's name might suggest a rootsy country band
-- fishin' by the pond with a toothpick in the mouth. Well,
that's not quite the case. Instead, Catfish Haven plays a
fresh version of R & B based rock and roll. The band combines
a scruffiness reminiscent of bands like The Replacements and
early Soul Asylum with a real soulfulness on par with The
Small Faces and J. Geils Band. George Hunter has a nice raspy
voice that is well-suited for begging and pleading and urging.
All these skills are on display on the pumping opener, "Please
Come Back". This song is all rhythm, with Hunter (guitar),
Miguel Castillo (bass) and Ryan Farnham (drums) playing with
a lot of focus. I could easily hear Reigning Sound dirtying
this up for a great garage rock cover. But lyrics like "and
after all is gone/emptiness will have a home" might get
buried. All throughout the album, Hunter pens pithy and direct
lyrics that really cut to the heart of the matter. He taps
into a Steve Marriott vibe on the Southern soul ballad "The
Love I'm Saving". Hunter is passionate and yet resigned,
as he sketches a few details of a love that's dying -- it's
like neither party knows when to end it. He's tired of her
("you don't send me"), yet can't let go ("if
you're jaded, let me know/just don't make me go crazy").
Usually, on these ballads, the singer is pleading for his
woman to stay. Here, he's pleading for it to end. Other highlights
include "Crying Shame", which shows off the band's
sophisticated playing -- they have a light touch on the blues.
And "Madelin" is a nice mid-tempo R & B song
that seems to have a bit of Van Morrison inspiration. This
EP should generate some excitement - this trio has a fresh
take on a classic style. secretlycanadian.com
Mark DeCerbo & Four Eyes
-- Sweet On The Vine (Zip):
DeCerbo has been kicking around for more than a decade. His
stock in trade is smart pub rock-cum-power pop that at times
is very reminiscent of Squeeze. He is quite good at it. "Little
Cloud" has a bit of a galloping pub rock thing going
on, like a peppier Nick Lowe or Kimberley Rew. The chorus
sneaks in on a simple lead guitar figure and provides a little
rest before the song picks the tempo back up. DeCerbo shows
a flair for smart arrangements, as best exemplified on "Artless,
Heartless" which moves from funky percussion to a soaring
melody on par with Marshall Crenshaw or Bill Lloyd. DeCerbo's
flair for crafting memorable lead guitar parts is evident
throughout the album, as is his refusal to settle for just
one great melody, when he can blend two or three together,
as he does splendidly on "Goin' Places". There are
two bonus tracks from the band Popgems, a collaboration between
DeCerbo and Dane Conover, the man behind Trees, who released
one brilliant synth-pop album on MCA in 1982. These songs
are light power pop with a strong Buddy Holly influence. They
are just an added treat, as the main course is more than good
enough. ziprecords.com
Belle And Sebastian -- The
Life Pursuit (Matador): The Scottish
band's artistic revival continues on this excellent follow
up to Dear Catastrophe Waitress. On this album, B &
S leans heavily on R & B, whether in a classic ‘60s
style or something a bit more current and danceable. This
doesn't change the sincere art school trappings at all; indeed,
hearing these seemingly disparate approaches mesh so well
is a real treat. "Song for Sunshine" is a slow funk
ballad that is comparable to Sly and the Family Stone and
The Isley Brothers, or, for that matter, Hall & Oates.
Moreover, it has a strong ‘70s vibe -- though many of
the influences are from a decade earlier, a lot of this album
sounds steeped in elephant flares and Pop Rocks. The band
plays a lilting proto-disco rhythm on "For the Price
of a Cup of Tea". Other than the rhythm, the song is
typical B & S fare, and the ‘70s soul touches make
it sound fresh. The glam influences that cropped up on the
last album remain, with "White Collar Boy" having
a smacking rhythm that is somewhere between Gary Glitter and
T. Rex. The song is premised on the drudgery of office work
being like prison, with slacking off being like escaping.
I'm not sure if Stuart Murdoch pulls this off, but the effort
is still amusing. While the band never rocks, they can be
pretty energetic -- "The Blues Are Still Blue" is
as close as they'll ever come to choogling, doing so with
maximum cheerfulness, on a song that is witty and meaningless,
which can be a good thing: "Baby, I love your face/I've
been creeping round this town because.../well, creeping's
just my way." Fans of the classic B & S style should
know that there are some quintessential twee folk nuggets
on this collection. This is simply an entertaining album that
makes winter easier to deal with and will still be sounding
good when summer comes. matadorrecords.com
Tiara -- Chained to the
Crown (WeWantAction): This Ohio
band consistently puts out high quality intelligent indie
pop -- accessible without being obvious. On this album, they
turn to their quieter side, with a few pretty numbers, and
they sometimes enter a dreamy psychedelic territory that will
be familiar to fans of Green Pajamas. This latter vibe is
felt strongest on the gripping closer "The Reason Why".
The song has an immediately haunting feel, with precise drumming
and interlocking guitar parts that cast a gray mood. Eric
Rottmayer's voice quavers in this musical mist. This song
is dramatic, though never over the top. "Everyone's a
Player" comes from a similar place, but isn't as haunting
and has a more rock edge. The song ends with an extended guitar
solo of great power. These songs illustrate Tiara's evolution
as a band, as they find more things they can accomplish with
their talents. They still make some great college rock in
the vein of bands like Kingsbury Manx. "Someone Is Listening"
is a simple swaying folk song, with rock trappings, and "Expert
Eyes" has a sweet melody that makes me think of Poco
going indie rock. There is also a great piano ballad, "Chained
to the Crown". Saying a band is matured can sometimes
be a put down (i.e., they've wussed out). That is not so in
this case -- Tiara's sonic palette has gotten bigger and the
emotional range and resonance of their music has likewise
increased. tiaraband.com
Lying In States -- Wildfire
On The Lake (Flameshovel): This
is noisy post-punk rock that follows in the footsteps of bands
like The Jesus Lizard and some Dischord bands. After four
solid songs, this album steps up to another level on the fifth
track, "Hackles". Here, a precise lockstep rhythm
engages some furious guitar work and is topped by the passionate
vocals of Ben Clarke. The band then dials things down volumewise,
while maintaining the intensity on the galloping "Wired
Saint". As stinging lead guitar parts ornament the rhythm,
there are other nice touches, like the subtle counterpoint
piano figure in the chorus. The instrumental section of the
song is untypically quiet, with somber piano, before building
back to the proper level of intensity. Not everything is suffused
with this edginess. "Turn" is a relatively normal
song, a mid-tempo track with a blues based structure. The
song builds nicely to the chorus, with Clarke singing "I'm
gonna walk right up/and take my shot." The disc ends
strongly with the title track. Like the aforementioned "Turn",
this song is a mid-tempo song with a prominent electric piano.
The chorus is full of fastly strummed guitars and emphatic
leads. There's an air of shaky desperation that is resonant.
This disc is memorable, but not pop. The songs are tightly
played and arranged, but leave the rough edges sticking out.
A lot of thought went into this, but the album's emotional
punch is what really makes it so good. flameshovel.com
apb -- Something To Believe
In (Young American): This is the
20th Anniversary reissue of an album that had limited CD release
more than 10 years ago, and fetched big dollars on eBay. What's
the fuss? This Scottish band played white funk rock that was
alternatively edgy and a bit reminiscent of Gang Of Four,
and sometimes just straight ahead get-your-ass on the dance
floor material. While a lot of the tracks on here are dated,
the best songs still hold up very well, and at worst, some
of the songs here come off as a bit tame, despite all the
popping bass guitar. However, this perception is blown away
by the bonus disc of material, which has seven live tracks
which all have one thing in common -- they are smoking. In
particular, the live version of what is perhaps the band's
most revered song, "Shoot You Down", is flawed in
one respect -- at just over five minutes, it is way too short,
as the band locks into the incessant groove and demands dancing.
I also dig how the dissonant "Talk to Me", which
is one of the post-punkiest songs in their repertoire, retains
its angularity while gaining an extra bounce. Highlights on
the main disc include "Help Yourself", which features
a prominent bass line that is a hook unto itself, the predictably
fun "Danceability Parts 1 and 2" and the percolating
mid-tempo "One Day". In addition to the live stuff,
the bonus disc has one b-side, "Crazy Grey", which
is nice, and six previously unreleased songs. None of them
top the ones on the proper disc, but "Walk Away"
might be their purest slice of funk, while "Don't Cry"
is a fairly normal song that seems more in competition with
Ruefrex and The Bolshoi. All-in-all, this gives you more than
a single disc's worth of good music for the price of a single
disc. yamrecordings.com
Kelley Stoltz -- Below
The Branches (Sub Pop): This is
Stoltz's third full length album, and if the first two are
this good, how in heaven's name has he flown under the radar
for this long? He's yet another great melodic pop act on Sub
Pop, though more classically pop than The Shins and Rogue
Wave. Stoltz comes from the tradition of acts like Emmit Rhodes,
The Kinks and The Beach Boys, finding a way to retain a sunny
musical aspect while still having a sometimes downbeat edge.
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Stoltz is a fan of some
of John Cale's ‘70s work, as his piano based numbers
have a similar sweet-and-sour pull. The first three songs
burst out of the gate splendidly. The opener, "Wave Goodbye",
has a bit of the Cale vibe I'm talking about, with the percussive
piano, clomping drums and a melody that sounds like Brian
(or Carl) Wilson set on drone. Next, "Little Lords"
has a pastoral feel that is very Kinks-y, mixed with a tension
that crops up sometimes in Guided By Voices songs. Stoltz
then has his unabashed Beach Boys moment on the blissful "Ever
Thought of Coming Back". The lyrics contrast the music
-- Stoltz is singing to Jesus, telling him that he should
come back now. I'll leave it up to you as to whether Stoltz
is being truly spiritual, or just selfish. This is followed
by "Words", which bleeds into floating psych-pop
territory, Stoltz's falsetto vocals and the delicate melody
connecting immediately. As the disc moves on, the music gets
a little bit darker, and Stoltz's lyrics are sometimes cryptic,
but often evocative. One of the first great pop records of
2006. subpop.com
Rosanne Cash -- Black
Cadillac (Capitol): This disc is
being hailed by some as some sort of artistic comeback, but
I think that Cash's three albums on Capitol (including this
one) have all been quality releases. In fact, I think this
isn't quite as good as her 10 Song Demo LP. This is
just quibbling -- Cash is a brilliant singer-songwriter whose
music is a winning mix of country, folk and pop, and suffused
with both intelligence and emotion. Much has been made of
the fact that this album has songs dealing with loss and the
deaths of many in Rosanne's life, including her father Johnny
and stepmother June, which Rosanne has downplayed. Her point
is that most of these songs were not specifically related
to these personal tragedies. Regardless, it will be hard for
many listeners not to think of Johnny and June when listening
to these songs. This is particularly true of the title cut
(the black Cadillac being the limo with the casket in it)
and "The World Unseen", where Rosanne sings to her
father "so I will look for you/between the grooves of
the songs we sing...and I will look for you in Memphis/and
the miles between." Rosanne moves beyond the personal
stories with songs like "God Is in the Roses", which
looks at the presence of the Creator as reassuring in the
face of mortality. Most of these songs are in the stately
melodic pop style that Cash has honed over the years. But
she gets a little New Orleans R & B in her step on "World
Without Sound", a song that is at times defiant, and
at times unsure: "I wish the ones who love me/would never
go away/but had to have my company/every single day."
On "Radio Operator", a haunting guitar part lays
on top of a steady rhythm of the sort that her father made
famous on so many songs over the years. Regardless of exactly
where this ranks in the Rosanne Cash panthenon, this is an
album that combines depth with accessibility, and is surely
amongst the year's best. capitolrecords.com
Various Artists -- Can't
Stop It: Australian Post Punk 1978-82
(Chapter): Over the past few years, there have been some great
compilations looking at the vibrant Aussie music scene from
this era. What differentiates this particular collection is
that it isn't nearly as accessible -- this is more fringe-y,
for lack of a better word. While Australian post-punk may
conjure up names like The Go-Betweens and The Birthday Party
(who weren't exactly cuddly, I know), most of the artists
on here are pretty darned obscure, often favoring drum machines
and out-of-tune guitars. This would certainly not be the first
source to turn to if you want to learn about the underground
in Koalaland, but if you're into that old scene, it's illuminating.
Not everything is tough to get into. Ron Rude's "Piano
Piano" is a good slice of pop, that's just performed
a bit off kilter. Then there's "Pony Club" by The
Limp, which sounds like proto-Stereolab. My favorite song
is probably Ash Wednesday's "Love By Numbers", a
robotic synth number, where the verses are just a recitation
of numbers, leading into an icy melodic chorus -- Kraftwerk
meets Blondie, maybe? Some songs are dissonance for dissonance
sake, in the tradition of bands like The Fall, such as "Song
of the Sea" by People With Chair Up Their Noses and "We
Can Do" by Wild West. There are some oddball instrumentals,
like the minimalist muzak of Essendon Airport ("How Low
Can You Go?") and crunchy guitars meet lounge jazz sound
of the band whose name is three vectors ("One Note Song").
There are also good cuts from The Apartments and Equal Local.
chaptermusic.com.au
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